Scots urged to speak up against hate crime

People who experience or witness hate crime are being encouraged to report all incidents as part of the new Speak Up Against Hate Crime campaign from the Scottish Government.

The positive act of reporting a hate crime can help to stop abuse motivated by prejudice or discrimination, work towards a positive outcome in the victim’s case and assist in preventing acts of hate happening to others.

No crime or incident is too small to report. Every incident reported assists Police Scotland to identify areas of concern, investigate it thoroughly and deal robustly with offenders to help prevent future crimes.

Current statistics show that there were more than 4,000 racially aggravated charges of hate crime reported (4,012) in 2012-13 and that across incidents relating to religion, disability and sexual orientation there was a significant rise in reported crimes. Incidents of hate crime can include habitual taunting, vandalism, online bullying and physical violence – but reporting it is making a big difference.

The Scottish Government firmly believes that hate crime is unacceptable and that everyone deserves to be treated fairly, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender identity/reassignment, race, religion/belief or sexual orientation.